PRO BASKETBALL

PRO BASKETBALL; Mavericks Wake Up And Avoid Meltdown

By PETE THAMEL

Published: May 5, 2003

DALLAS, May 4—
Dallas Mavericks point guard Nick Van Exel tossed and turned in his bed until 5:30 this morning.

Embarrassed by a blowout loss in Game 6 of the Mavericks' first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers and worried about his team being the first in N.B.A. history to squander a 3-0 series lead, Van Exel said he was too embarrassed even to be seen in public.

Van Exel can rest easier tonight. The Mavericks eliminated Portland with a 107-95 Game 7 victory today to advance to the Western Conference semifinals against the Sacramento Kings.

The Mavericks survived because of 76.5 percent shooting in the fourth quarter and clutch performances by Van Exel and Dirk Nowitzki.

''It's hard to beat a good team four times'' in a row, Dallas Coach Don Nelson said. ''We couldn't do it to them, and thank goodness we had this one at home and we rose to the occasion.''

Coming off a miserable 4-point, 0-rebound performance in Game 6 on Friday, Nowitzki scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He and Van Exel each scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, when Dallas outscored the Blazers, 36-22.

Portland trailed by 95-93 with just over two minutes remaining, but an offensive foul away from the ball on center Arvydas Sabonis gave Dallas possession. Nowitzki exploited the turnover by hitting a twisting baseline shot after rebounding his own miss.

He followed that possession with a 3-point shot over Scottie Pippen to give the Mavericks a 100-94 lead with 1 minute 21 seconds remaining and essentially seal the game.

In a game that included 21 ties and 13 lead changes, Van Exel's 26 points and fourth-quarter push were just as important.

Van Exel shot 1 of 5 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 as the Mavericks lost a 9-point lead in the last five minutes. Today, he drilled a 3-pointer with 3:33 left to give the Mavericks a 93-90 lead, and Dallas never trailed again.

The deep shot came after Nowitzki failed to set a pick and left Van Exel stranded on the perimeter. Van Exel playfully accused Nowitzki, a native of Germany, of selectively understanding English when he called him over for the screen. The light-hearted banter was indicative of the relief the Dallas players felt.

''It was an embarrassing feeling,'' Van Exel said. ''I couldn't wait to get to the gym today to get it all over with.''

The only person more relieved than Van Exel might have been Nelson, who sneaked sips of a celebratory beer from under the table at the interview podium.

He pointed to two inspirational points as keys to the game. He credited the veteran guard Avery Johnson, who did not make the Mavericks' playoff roster, for delivering a speech to fire up the team before the game.

He also sent a personal thank-you to Portland guard Ruben Patterson, who was quoted as saying that he could see the fear in the Mavericks' eyes. That statement was prominently displayed in the Dallas locker room.

''Ruben Patterson is dumber than a rock,'' Nelson said, ''because we put what he said on the board, which helped us.''

Portland was dogged by off-court problems all season; its troubles with the police earned the team the nickname Jail Blazers. But Portland became only the third team in N.B.A. history to tie a series at 3-3 after trailing by 3-0, and in the process perhaps took the edge off the rebel image it had built during the season.

Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire had 17 points each for the Blazers, who led with less than five minutes remaining.

Portland Coach Maurice Cheeks said the Blazers regained respect from a city that had become disenchanted with its only major professional sports franchise.

''It showed that we're a little more strong in the mind than people think we are,'' Cheeks said.

By pushing Dallas to seven games, the Blazers also exposed the Mavericks' flaws on defense and in the interior.

The 38-year-old Sabonis cobbled together 16 points and 8 rebounds, a sign that the Mavericks may struggle with the Sacramento interior of Vlade Divac and Chris Webber. Dallas tied Portland with 42 rebounds, but the Blazers were without the starting center Dale Davis, who strained his groin muscle in Game 6.

Despite being the third-seeded team in the West, the Mavericks hold home-court advantage over the second-seeded Kings by virtue of their better regular-season record.

The series begins Tuesday in Dallas, but the Mavericks' owner, Mark Cuban, started a buzz by criticizing the N.B.A. front office for scheduling back-to-back games next Saturday and Sunday in Sacramento.

''That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of,'' Cuban said. ''Whoever decided that should be fired.''

The Dallas players, though, were not so riled up. After a few restless nights on the brink of N.B.A infamy, Van Exel looked forward to going to bed.

''We'll be able to sleep a little bit easier tonight,'' he said.

Photo: With 31 points and 11 rebounds, Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas had his way with Portland in Game 7. (Reuters)(pg. D3)